Jan 14, 2016

Good Things Come In Small Packages

Chickens don't need to be big in order to be good, at least that's what Connecticut poultry farmer Jacques Makowsky and his wife Therese believed in the 1950's when they began cross-breeding White Cornish game cocks with Plymouth Rock hens in an attempt to create a small, single serving, gourmet chicken similar to the less available quail or squab, but with all-white meat. The result was a plump little bird that had a distinct gamy flavor because they were raised on a high protein diet that included such native Connecticut produce as cranberries, acorns, and other nuts.Since then, people have found the smaller cornish game hen to be a nice change from its larger 4 pound cousin, the chicken. Today, millions of Cornish Game Hens are shipped all over the country, including Hawaii. Most of these hens are the White Laced Red Bantam Cornish Game Hen pictured above. It weighs only 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, which is the perfect size for two servings, unless your guests are really hungry. Add a couple of my side dishes and you've made a simple dinner really special. If you are going to prepare a Cornice Game Hen, then check out this website which shows you how to butterfly poultry known as "Spatchcocking". It's really very simple!

Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear, or the thermometer registers 165°F in the thigh. Baste the hens with pan juices every 10 minutes.

Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch with water and add to the pan juices and garlic cloves. Boil and stir until liquids thicken to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve with Rosemary Mashed Potatoes and Pesto Carrots. Makes 4 servings.

Procedure:
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. With a sharp knife or poultry shears, remove the backbones from the hens and slice through the breastbone, cutting the hens in half. Brush the skin of the hens with 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and set them, skin side up, on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the skin with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Roast until the hens are almost cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should register 160°F), about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the preserves, honey, soy sauce, and lemon juice; bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 teaspoon water, add to the saucepan, and cook until the mixture thickens, another 1 minute.

Brush the hens with the pineapple-ginger glaze and continue to roast until the glaze has browned in spots and the thermometer registers 165°F in the thigh, another 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Procedure:
Season cornish game hen halves with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the cornish game hen halves and cook for 3 or 4 minutes per side, turning them when they are browned. Remove and transfer to a plate.

Into the same pan add the lemon juice, wine or stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return the cornish game hen halves to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes, spooning sauce over them. Remove game hen halves to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over game hens and garnish with parsley. Serve with Jasmine rice and steamed asparagus. Makes 2 servings.

Procedure:
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. With a sharp knife or poultry shears, remove the backbones from the hens and slice through the breastbone, cutting the hens in half. Brush the skin of the hens with 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and set them, skin side up, on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the skin with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Roast until the hens are almost cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should register 165°F), about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the Teriyaki sauce, dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons water in a microwave-safe dish and mix, then combine all of the other sauce ingredients in the same dish. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and poke holes in the plastic with a fork. Cook on HIGH (1200W) for 1 1/2 minutes. Take the sauce out of the microwave and stir a few minutes more, until it thickens.

When the Hens are roasted, brush sauce over each half and continue cooking, about 8 more minutes, being careful not to burn the sauce. Remove from oven and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with Gingered Jasmine Rice and Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Coat cornish game hen halves in mustard sauce on both sides with a basting brush; sprinkle the tops only in crumb mixture to coat. Lay coated game hen halves in foil lined baking pan, crumb mixture side up, so they are not touching each other.

Note: You can watch Martha Stewart grill a whole cornish game hen by clicking here and how she deals with prepping the hen for the grill called "spatchcocking". It's a short video and worth watching.

Smoked Cornish Game HensSmoking game hens is just another way to enjoy this little chicken, but first you need to brine the bird in a wet solution, refrigerated overnight. Some people don't think brining is necessary, but to me, brining not only brings flavor to the table, but it also helps to keep the bird juicy. There are many recipes for brining depending on the cook's taste. Click here for the basics of brining poultry.

Cameron Stovetop Smoker
Click on photo to view larger

After brining, I use a stovetop smoker called a Cameron Smoker Cooker, which you can buy online from Amazon.com for about $54.99. I've had this wonderful smoker for many years, and it still works great. It does a good job of infusing small amounts of food with smoky flavor quickly, without having to fire up the outdoor grill, and it doesn't smoke up the kitchen. You can smoke other meats, like salmon using this same kitchen smoker. You can get my salmon recipehere. For a review of this little indoor smoker click here. Naturally, you can also cook the game hens on an outdoor grill or in an outdoor smoker. If you want to make your own smoker out of a wok, you might like this website. Naturally, the important thing is that the end result is delicious!Brine Ingredients for cornish game hens:
3 cups non-clorinated water (bottled water)
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2" fresh ginger, sliced into rounds (no need to peel it)
1/4 onion, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed

Procedure:
Combine the brine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove the brine from the heat and chill down to 40˚F. (to do this quickly, surround the pot with ice in a larger pot or your sink).

Prepare the 2 game hens by cutting along each side of the backbone with a clean pair of kitchen shears, or sharp knife, removing it from the carcass. Push down on the breast to flatten it, then cut along either side of the breastbone. You should now have 4 servings. At this point you can remove the rib bones with a sharp knife, but it's not necessary.

Place the 4 hen halves in two zip-lock freezer bags, or one if you can make them fit. Add the cooled brine and press bags to remove excess air and seal. Put in the refrigerator for 2 hours, no longer or it might be too salty. Be sure and turn the brine bag after one hour. Remove the birds from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. If you are not ready to cook at the end of the brining time, remove the hens from the brine, pat dry with paper towels, cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate them. When you are ready to smoke the birds, coat them with olive oil to help keep them from drying out.

The cooking process is two-fold. First we smoke the brined birds in a Cameron Smoker Cooker, on the stovetop, using 1 1/2 cups of applewood chips, on low heat for 25 minutes after it starts to smoke. Then we finish cooking them in the oven at 375˚F for another 20 minutes.The applewood wood chips give the game hens a wonderful smoky applewood flavor on top of the flavor of the brine. It's a winner.

Serve the game hens with wild rice topped with crimini mushrooms sautéed in butter (which can be made the day before), and a nice salad. Makes 4 servings.

CHEF JAMES TEMPLE

First of all, thanks for visiting Tasting Hawaii, my way of introducing you to the multi-ethnic cuisine found on these tropical Hawaiian islands.

I'm a retired chef living on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i. It is small and rural, with a population of only 7,345. This island is tucked away between Oahu and Maui. It's special because the people living here are mostly Hawaiian. They love the old ways of aloha, where family comes first, helping your neighbor is important, and growth and tourism is not in their vocabulary.

In ancient times, it was the task of the men to prepare the food, and men and women ate meals separately. Hawaiians have always loved to cook, and so do I. No matter where you live, we all have one thing in common... FOOD. To me, sharing lives over a meal makes food what it was always meant to be, not just a nourisher, but a uniter of hearts.

After 35 years in the advertising business I thought... it's time to expand my horizons. I decided to make a big change and go back to school... cooking school. In January, 2003 I graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, California, with an Associate of Occupational Studies in Le Cordon Bleu, Culinary Arts Degree.

I love living and cooking, especially in Hawaii. I hope you find a recipe on this blog that will become a family favorite, and that you will learn a little about Tasting Hawaii and cooking with Aloha.

Chef James Temple

CHEF JAMES TEMPLE'S COOKBOOKS: "COOKING ON MOLOKA'I"

Cooking in Hawaii is like a painter's pallet, a fusion of flavors from many nationalities, a tropical melting pot that is unique to the culinary world. This 170 page cookbook has over 120 local recipes like: Fried Honey Sesame Shrimp, Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk, Spicy Thai Beef Salad. and Tahitian Lime Pie. These recipes are some of the best 'grindz' enjoyed on Moloka'i and the Hawaiian islands.

"TROPICAL COOKING"

Did you know that there are over 45,000 tropical islands around the world. This 170 page cookbook has a collection of over 120 tropical island recipes. Recipes like: "Banana Crumble Muffins", "Aruban Citrus Chicken", "Pineapple Rum Cake", "Lime-Garlic Pork Roast", "Black Bean, Heart of Palm, and Corn Salad", "Coconut Crab Cakes with Avocado Mango Salsa", "Coconut Shrimp Hush-puppies", or "Tropical Island Gazpacho", just to name a few.

"AMBROSIA"

In Greek mythology, Ambrosia was the food of the Gods, an elixir of life. Today, Ambrosia is still a word that stands for the best of food, food that is good enough to be eaten by the Greek Gods. This 170 page cookbook has over 120 recipes like: "Roasted Beet Bruschetta", "Cream of Artichoke Soup", Celery Root Salad with Capers and Lemon", "Roast Pork with Dried Fruit", "Shirred Eggs with Lobster", and "Plum Crumble". This is a culinary oasis that will bring fine dining to your world and romance to your plate, whether you are a deity or not.

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